Traveling-contact device



(No'Model.) r 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. M. D. LAW. TRAVELINC CONTACT DEVICE.

Patented Mar. l0

(No Model. 2 Sheets-Sheet; 2.

M. 1)..LAW.V y TRAVELING CONTACT DEVICE.

No. 555,958. A Patented Mar. 10,1896. l

lINiTnn STATES PATENT Orricn.

MYRON D. LAIV, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOlR TO ALBERTG. IVIIEELER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRAVELING-CONTACT DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,958, dated March10, 1896.

Application filed September 28, 1894:. Serial No. 524,369. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern: Y

Be it known that I, MYRON D. LAW, of Washington, District of Columbia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'lraveling-ContactDevices g and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and eXact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form 1oa part of this speciiication.

This invention relates to traveling-contact devices for electricrailways.

The device to be described has been designed with special reference tosystems in which the trolleys or collectors make under contact withconductors located within a slotted conduit; but it will be apparentthat by a reversal of the position of the trolleycarrying arms thedevice is well adapted for 2o use in systems wherein the trolleys maketop contact with or ride upon the conductors of the conduit.

One object of the invention is to admit of travel of the trolleys ineither direction upon 2 5 the conductors, thereby avoiding` thenecessity of shifting the contact device, as a whole, when reversing thedirection of travel of a car.

Another object of the invention is to so construct and arrange thecontact parts of the 3o motor on a car and on the trolley device as toavoid liability of rupture or damage to the connecting-wires inattaching and .detaching the trolley device. With these and minorobjects in view the invention consists in the matters which will bedescribed in detail in the ensuing,` specification and then pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of atraveling-contact device 4o embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a planview of the same, partly in section. Figs. 3 -and -L are details of partof the trolley-wheelsupporting arm. Fig. 5 is a side elevation showingone manner of attaching the contact 4 5 device to the supporting-frameand establishing contact with the motor. Fig. (i is a sectional detailshowing another mode of supporting the terminals of the connecting-wiresleading to the motor. Fig. 7 is a detail, in 5o side elevation, of thelower part of a trolleyarm, showing a modification in which thetrolley-arm is capable of oscillation from a vertical position in eitherdirection.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the traveling-contact device,which is designated as a whole by the letter A, is connected with thecar and sustained therefrom by means of a metal (preferably steel) bar,shank orleg B, herein termed the supporting-bar, which is detachablysecured at its upper end 6o to the car or a part of the running-gearthereof, such as a truck-frame, and extends downwardly through the slotof the conduitinto the interior of the latter. Said bar carries at itslower end the traveling-contact device proper. 6 5 This, as shown in thedrawings, is double, or adapted for making contact with two lineconductors, and it consists in its main parts of a supporting-frame C,of insulating material, which is attached to the lower end of the 7o barB, metal strips D D, attached to the side faces of the frame C,trolley-wheels or contact-pieces E E, which move in contact with theline conductors, and swinging or pivotally-supported trolley-arms F F,which .are in metallic connection with the strips D D. Said trolley-armsare provided with horizontal and vertical portions Fl F2, and are formedby means of four separate metal parts or sections G, H, I and J, ofwhich the parts G and II 8o constitute the horizontal parts of the armsand the sections I and J the vertical parts thereof. Said horizontal andvertical parts of the trolley-arm are connected by a pivotal jointformed by a pivot-pin z, which engages and unites the intermediatesections II and I of the arm.

The opposite side pieces or members of the frame C consist of bars orplates of insulating material, which serve to electrically in- 9o sulatefrom each other parts of the device which are attached thereto, as willhereinafter appear. The trolley-supporting.bar B is provided withlongitudinal passages or channels, carrying' conductors Z) b', byrneans95 of which electrical connection is made between the car and thetraveling-contact devices. In the particular construction shown said barconsists of two flat plates secured together and having opposing grooveson their roo inner faces, forming the passages referred to.

The contact device illustrated is adapted for use in systems in whichconducting or line wires are used for both the supply and returncurrents, and for this purpose is, as before stated, made double, havingin fact two separate contact devices, one at either side of thesupporting-bar, for making separate contact with two line conductorsthere located. The parts at opposite sides of the bar being alike, adetailed description of one will apply to both, and the parts at oneside of the bar only will be herein referred to in describing theconstruction of these parts.

Secured to the longitudinal vertical face of the frame C is a meta-l barD, provided at one end with a bearing-stud D/ and with a lateralprojection or lug d, and at its opposite -end with a boss CV, in whichis inserted a setscrew d2. At the bottom of the bar B the conductors hb/ extend through the space between the side pieces of the frame C, andaround the edges thereof to the outside of the frame, where they areconnected with the bars D D at opposite sides of the frame, preferablythrough the medium of safety cut-outs consisting of binding-posts (Z3,having set-.screws d4, and fusible ystrips (Z5, engaged at their ends bysaid set-screws d2 and d4, the ends of the conductors being held in thebindingpost d3 d?.

The bearing-stud D forms the supportingpivot for the trolley-supportingarm F. The section G of said arm is immediately engaged with said stud,said section consisting of a metal block provided with a transversebearing-aperture g to receive said stud. The section H is connected inlongitudinal alignment with the section G, and said parts, whichconstitute the horizontal portion of the trolley-arm, are connected witheach other by a pivotal joint or swivel, the axis of which is arrangedlongitudinally of the said parts, .so that the section H may rotateabout its own longitudinal axis upon the section G. The section I ispivoted to the section H by means of the transverse horizontal pivot z',which allows said part I to swing in a vertical plane parallel with theside face ofthe supportingbar or with the plane of the trolley-wheel,and the section J, which immediately sustains the trolley-wheel, and inwhich the latter is mounted, is connected with the section I by means ofa vertical pivot or swivel, enabling the trolley-wheel to turn or rotatein a horizontal plane.

The several joints and pivotal connections described enable the trolleyto move or turn in a number of different ways. The pivot-al connectionof the trolley-arm with the frame D enables the trolley to move bodilyin a vertical direction, so that it can rise and fall to correspond withvertical deflections of the conducting-wire. The horizontal pivotconnecting the sections G and H enables the trolley to movebodilyqlaterally or sidewise relatively to the supporting-bar, so thatit may easily and smoothly follow the wire, notwithstanding variationsin the distance of the same from the conduit-slot. The transverse pivotconnecting the sections H and I enables the trolley to yield bodilybackward and downward in case it strikes any projection on the wire(such as may exist at a joint or at a supporting-clip) when the contactdevice is moving with the free end of the trolleyarm in advance. Suchmovement of the trolley is indicated by the dotted lines at the left ofthe trolley shown in the drawings, Fig. l. A corresponding backward andldownward movement of the trolley is permitted when the device isrunning in the opposite direction by the swinging of the section G aboutthe pivot D. The vertical pivot connecting the sections I and J enablesthe trolley-wheel to turn relatively to the trolley-arm, so as to remainparallel with the conductor and smoothly follow the same with a minimumof friction.

rlhe trolley-arm is held in its elevated position and the trolleymaintained in contact with the conductor by means of a spring K, hereinshown in the for In of a contractile coiled spring, which is attached atone end to the lug d and at its opposite end to a lug or arm j on theouter section J. Said lug or arm j projects toward the pivot of thetrolley-arm. Said spring,when thus connected with the section J, notonly serves to press the trolley upwardly against the conductor, butalso tends to hold the trolley in the same plane with the conductor. Thespring K is shown attached to a screw -threaded bolt 7s, which passesthrough the lug d and is provided with a nut by means of which i-t maybe adj usted to vary the tension of the spring. In addition to thespring for lifting the trolley-wheel, Ialso propose to apply a spring orsprings to the trolley-arm sections H and I in such manner as to holdthe upright part of the arm vertical, except under the action ofbackward or upward pressure sufficient to overcome the force of thespring or springs. As shown in the drawings, a single plate-spring L,attached to the section G and acting on the lower end of the section I,serves both purposes-that is to say, it presses against the lowerportion of said section I in such manner that the said part I cannot beturned on its tran sverse' pivot, nor can the section H be turned on itslongitudinal pivot, without flexing the spring.

To now refer more particularly to the details of constructionillustrated in the parts last above referred to, the pivotal connectionbetween the sections G and His formed by a pivot-rod h, Fig. 3, which issecured in the part H and enters a bearing-aperture in the part G, inwhich it is held by a cross-pin 7L passing through segmental slots inthe part G. Relative movement of the parts G and II is limited by a stopprojection h2 on the part 1I, which enters a notch g', made wider thanthe projection, so as to allow a necessary amount of motion between theparts.

ward movement of the trolley-arm under the action of the spring K islimited by means IOO of a lug or stop-shoulder g2 at the upper side ofthe section G, which is adapted for contact with a set-screw g3,inserted through the lug d. Adjustment of said set-screw determines theupward movement of the trolley, as found desirable.

Pivotal connection between the sections H and I is formed by means of ahorizontal pivot-pin i, passing transversely through the meeting ends ofsaid sections. As illustrated, these sections are rabbeted so that theoverlapping parts thereof will lie flush with the surface of adjacentparts. The lower end of the section I is extended horizontally to forman arm t', which is provided at its end with a depending bead or lug 2,designed to project below the adjacent surface of the section II andrest upon the top surface of the spring L, near the free end of thelatter. The said part II is provided with a stop shoulder or surface71,4, adapted for contact with the arm fi when the upright part F2 ofthe trolley-arm is in its vertical or normal position, said stopsurfaceserving to limit the upward motion of the arm t" under the action of thespring. The arm c" not only serves in connection with the spring L as ameans of holding the trolley from backward movement, but also serves asa means of transmitting the pressure of the spring to the part H toprevent the latter from turning on its longitudinal axis and to therebyhold the trolley yieldingly from lateral movement. This result is due tothe fact that the spring presses on opposite sides or edges of the armfi', so that any turning of the part II will result in the depression ofthe spring. In this respect the action is'the same as would be obtainedby providing the lower surface of the section Il with a broad flat lugto rest in contact with the spring. In the particular construction ofthe parts above referred to shown in the drawings the said part II isprovided with a central web or iin h3, which enters a slot in the lowerend of the bar I, the pivot-pin i being inserted through the overlappingparts to form the pivotal joint at its point. In this construction thepart or prong at the lower or bifurcat-ed end of the section I isextended to form two prongs, which constitute in effect thelaterally-projecting arm 'i' hereinbefore referred to, said arm being inthis'instance a two-part or bifurcated arm. Each part or prong of thearm c" is provided at its end with a depending part or lug i2 adaptedfor contact with the top surface of the spring L, near the free end ofthe latter.

The swivel-joint between the parts or sections I and J is formed, asshown, by means of an upwardly-extending spindle on the part I, whichengages a socket in the part J, a pin j being inserted through thespindle and through segmental slots in the part J to hold said partsfrom becoming separated.

A ring or sheath M of insulating material is shown as placed around thetrolley-bar above the frame C in order to protect that part of the barfrom access of moisture and to avoid possibility of the trolley ortrolleyarm coming in contact therewith.

A traveling-contact device of the character herein described isremovably attached to the car in such manner that it may be readilydetached or secured in place when taking the cars from the yard to abarn or vice versa, or in changing from an overhead to undergroundconductors. Commonly the supporting-bar is attached to alaterally-movable support on the car, which support has freedom ofmotion laterally, so as to enable the supporting-bar to follow theconduit-slot freely and without binding or friction. Such a support isindicated at N, Fig. 5, the same consisting of a bar which rests at itsends on transverselyarranged guides IT N', on which it is free to slidelaterally, as set forth in Patent No. 511,346, dated December 26, 1893.The bar is shown as supported or held from dropping through the verticalsocket in which it is placed by means of a cotter-pin u.

In order to facilitate the securing of the lcontact device to and itsremoval from the car and to avoid the presence of loose ends ofconductors, such as have heretofore been allowed to project from theupper end of the trolley-bar for making connection with the conductorson the car, I propose to use a coupling device for connecting theterminals of the conductors on the car and bar, consisting severally ofa socket or receiving member and a plug or entering member, said partsbeing provided with contact strips or pieces arranged to complete thecircuits between the car and contact device. These parts, as hereinshown, are constructed as follows: Attached to the top or upper end ofthe bar B is a block O of insulating material. Secured to opposite sidesof the block are metal contact-strips O O', with which the conductors bl/ are connected at their upper end. P, Figs. 5 and 6, is a socket-piecealso made of insulating material and adapted to receive the block O.Said socket-piece is provided on its opposite inner walls with springcontact-pieces P P'. These latter are adapted for contact with theplates O O when the block O is inserted in the socket. Said socketpieceP is connected with the car by the nexible conductor-terminals p palone.

As far as the general purposes of my invention are concerned, weightsmay be used in place of springs as a means of lifting the trolley-armand for holding the vertical part of the same upright, but owing to therestricted space allowed for the parts in a slotted conduit springs willmore commonly be employed. rlhe arrangement of springs shown has specialadvantages in point of compactness and of cheapness and simplicityof-construction, and some of the features of construction, of which thesprings illustrated constitute import-ant parts, are herein claimed asmy invention.

The part or section I may have an oppo- IOO IIO

sitely-extending arm or arms, both acting on the spring L in the samemanneras the single arm illustrated. In that case no stops will beneeded to limit the movement of the upright part of the trolley-armunder the action of said spring L, and said upright part will be free tomove in either direction from its vertical or normal position, so thatthe arm will yield in the same manner in case the trolley strikes anobstruction when going in one direction or when going in the other. Sucha construction is illustrated in Fig. 7, wherein all the parts are madein the same manner as hereinbefore described, except that the lug h4 is,omitted, the spring L is made somewhat longer at its end and the part orsection I is provided in addition to the arm c" with an arm i2 extendingin an opposite direction therefrom and bearing on the said spring in themanner above referred to.

An important advantage is gained in the construction illustrated fromthe fact that the socket-piece there shown is supported independently ofthe carrier-bar N and has movable or flexible connection with thecarframe. An important advantage arising from this construction is thatit enables the socket to be easily and quickly applied to the upper endof the carrier-bar without regard to eX- act adjustment of thesupporting-bar on the carrier-bar or other part of the car-frame towhich it may be attached. Another important advantage is that it avoidsbringing on the socket lateral strains, shocks or blows which come uponthe supporting-arm in the turning of curves and at other times by reasonof the engagement of the other end of said bar with the slot of theconduit. Vhen the socket is engaged with the upper end of thesupporting-bar and is connected with the other parts of the car byflexible connections, such as wire conductors alone, said socket isperfectly free to move with the supportingbar and no strains whateverare brought upon said socket. Liability of the breakage of theelectrical connection under shocks or blows coming upon thesupporting-bar is thereby entirely avoided.

I claim as my invention l. A traveling-contact device for electricrailways, comprising a trolley-wheel or part which travels in immediatecontact with the line conductor, a pivoted arm for supporting the sameconsisting of horizontally and vertically arranged parts connected by atransverse pivot, said trolley-wheel or contactpiece being locatedvertically above the pivot and springs applied to lift the horizontalpart and to maintain in upright position the vertical part of the arm,substantially as described.

2. A traveling-contact device for electric railways, comprising atrolley-wheel or part which travels in immediate contact with the lineconductor, and a pivoted trolley-arm consisting of a vertically-arrangedpart which carries the trolley-wheel or part which travels in immediatecontact with the line conductor, and a horizontally-arranged partconnected with the vertical bar by a transverse pivot and having alongitudinal swivel, .aiording lateral movement in the upper end of thevertically-arranged part, said trolley-wheel being located verticallyabove the said transverse part substantially as described.

3. A traveling-contact device for electric railways, comprising a4trolley-wheel or partl which travels in immediate contact with the lineconductor, a pivoted trolley-arm consisting of a vertically-arrangedpart carrying the trolley-wheel or part which travels in immediatecontact with the line conduct-or, and a horizontally-arran ged partwhich is connected with the vertical part by a transverse pivot, and isprovided with a longitudinal swivel, and a spring applied to maintainthe vertical part at right angles to the horizontal part of the arm,.substantially as described.

4t. A traveling-contact device for electric railways comprising atrolley-wheel or part which travels in immediate contact with the lineconductor, a pivoted trolley-arm consisting of a vertically-arrangedpart carrying the trolley-wheel or part which travels in immediatecontact with the line conductor, and a horizontally-arran ged part whichis connected by a transverse pivotwi-th the vertical part and isprovided with a longitudinal swivel, and a spring applied to turn thevertical part on said transverse pivot and also about the axis of thelongitudinal pivot, and which tends to hold the said vertical part in anupright position.

5. A traveling-'contact device for electrical railways comprising asupporting-bar which depends from the car, a trolley-wheel or part whichtravels in immediate contact with the conductor and a trolleyarm whichis pivoted to the supporting-bar and which consists of vertically andhorizontally arranged parts or sections connected bytransversely-arranged horizontal pivots, said vertically arranged partcarrying the trolley-wheel at its upper end and being provided with avertical swivel affording rotative movement of the trolleywheel about avertical axis and springs applied to lift the trolley-arm by swingingthe same about its pivot and to maintain in an upright position thepivoted vertical part of said arm, substantially as described.

6. A traveling-contact device for electric railways comprising atrolley-wheel or part which travels in immediate contact with the lineconductor, a pivoted trolley-arm consisting of vertically andhorizontally arranged parts connected by a transverse pivot, saidvertical part being provided with a vertical swivel and carrying thetrolley-wheel or part which travels in immediate contact with the lineconductor at its upper end, and springs applied to the several parts andacting to lift the trolley-arm to hold the vertical part of IOO IIO

the same upright, and to hold the trolleywheel or contact-piece in aplane parallel with that of the arm, substantially as described.

7. A traveling-contact device for electric railways comprising atrolley-wheel or part that travels in immediate contact with the lineconductor and a pivoted trolley-arm consisting of vertically andhorizontally arranged parts which are connected by atransverselyarranged horizontal pivot to the lower end of the verticalpart, said vertically-arranged part having a vertical swivel whereby thetrolleywheel may turn on a vertical axis and a horizontally-arrangedpart having a longitudinal swivel by which the trolley-wheel may swinglaterally about a horizontal axis and springs applied to lift the arm tohold the vertical part at right angles to the horizontal part, to holdthe vertical part from lateral movement and also to hold thetrolley-wheel in a plane parallel with that of the arm, substantially asdescribed.

8. A traveling-contact device for electric railways comprising atrolley-wheel or part' which travels in immediate contact with the lineconductor, a trolley-arm consisting of horizontally and verticallyarranged parts connected bya transverse pivot, the vertical part beingpro vided with an arm extending at one side of said pivot, and a flatspring attached to the said horizontal part and acting on the said armof the vertical part to hold the latter upright, substantially asdescribed.

9. A traveling-contact device for electric railways comprising atrolley-wheel or part which travels in immediate contact with the lineconductor, a trolley-arm consisting of longitudinally and verticallyarranged parts connected by a transverse pivot the vertical part beingprovided with an arm which extends at one side of the pivot and belowthe surface of the horizontal part, and said horizontal part consistingof rotative and non-rotative sections joined by a longitudinal swivel,and a iiat plate-spring attached to the non-rotative section of thehorizontal part and acting against the said arm at laterally-separatedpoints to maintain the vertical part of the trolley-arm upright,substantially as described.

lO. A traveling-contact device for electric railways, comprising atrolley-wheel or part which travels in immediate contact with the lineconductor, a trolley-arm consisting of horizontally and verticallyarranged parts connected by transverse pivots, saidhorizontally-arranged part having a longitudinal swivel and beingprovided at its outer end with a vertical web or iin and the verticalpart being slotted at its lower end to receive said web or iin andprovided with a horizontal arm which is made in two parts or divided toextend at either side of said web or fin and a fiat spring attached tothe horizontal part and acting on the parts or prongs of said dividedarm to hold the vertical part of the trolleyarm upright, substantiallyas described.

ll. A traveling-contact device for electric railways comprising atrolley-wheel or part which travels in immediate contact with the lineconductor, a trolley-arm consisting of horizontally and verticallyarranged parts connected by a transverse pivot, a support to which saidtrolley-arm is pivoted, and a coiled contractile spring attached at oneend to the vertically-arranged part of the trolleyarm and at itsopposite end to the said support at a point adjacent to and above thepivot of the trolley-arm, substantially as described.

12. A traveling-contact device for electric railways comprising atrolley-wheel or part which travels in immediate contact with the lineconductor, a trolley-arm consisting of horizontally and verticallyarranged parts connected by a transverse pivot, said vertical part beingprovided with a vertical swivel and having a lateral lug at its sideadjacent to the pivot of the trolley-arm, a support to which saidtrolley-arm is pivoted, and a coiled,

contractile spring attached at one end to said lug on the upright part,and at its opposite end to said support adjacent to and above the pivotof the trolley-arm, substantially as described. l

13. A traveling-contact device for electric railways, comprising asupporting -bar, a frame of non-conducting material attached to thelower end of the same, a metal strip attached to the side of the frameand provided with a bearing-stud and with a lug above the said stud, atrolley-wheel or part which travels in immediate contact with the linecond uctor, a trolley-arm pivoted on said stud and consisting of horizontal and vertical parts connected by a transverse pivot, and acontractile spring attached to the outer part of the arm and to saidlug, said arm being provided with a stop projection or arm adapted forcontact with the lug for limiting the upward movement of the arm, and aspring acting on the vertical arm to hold the latter upright,substantially as described.

l-t. The combination with a traveling-contact device a car and asupporting-bar by which the contact device is carried and which isdetachably secured to the car, of conductors on the car, asupporting-bar by which the current is carried from the contact deviceto the motor on the car, and a coupling device Vforsaid conductorsconsisting of two members, namely, a block and a socket-piece adapted toreceive the block, one of said members being attached to the bar and theother having movable or :flexible connection with the car, said membersbeing provided with contact-strips forming terminals for the conductorson the bar and car and adapted for contact with each other when themembers of the coupling are joined, substantially as described.

l5. The combination with a traveling-contact device, a car-frame and asupportingbar to which the traveling-contact device is attached of amovable carrier on the car- ICO IIO

frame to which the said supporting-bar .is dewith said contact-strips ofthe socket, subtaehably secured, an insulating-block atstantially asdescribed.

taohed to the upper end of said bar, Contact In testimony that I claimthe foregoing as strips on said block, conductors extending my inventionI affix my Signature in presence 5 from the Contact device along saidbar to the of two witnesses.

contact-strips, a socket-piece adapted to reoeive said block, saidsocket-piece being movably connected with the ear independently ofVitnesses:

said carrier, contact-strips in said soeket- C. A. NEALE, 1o pieces andconductors in the oar connected C. CLARENCE POOLE.

MYRON D. LAV.

